School district report cards released

School district report cards were released for primary schools across New York State this past week. The evaluations covered each school in the district, rating their performance and examination scores for math, science, English-language arts as well as information on enrollment and attendance.

Cazenovia Central School District students scored fairly well this past year; 135 teachers instructed 1670 pupils among the three facilities. Enrollment in each school has been slowly declining, but the students have consistently posted strong scores. District Superintendent Bob Dubik attributes the fragile real-estate market to the low attendance and tells that the district's strong foundation will continue the tradition of excellence.

"The reason we do well is very simple; we have hard-working teachers, hard-working students and involved parents who all expect the best," Dubik said. "That breeds success. We have been able to meet and exceed learning standards for all subjects."

Fewer families have been moving to Cazenovia in recent years, and with every graduating class of seniors, a smaller class of kindergarteners enrolls.

"It's a big issue, I've talked to the Chamber of Commerce about it, I've talked to the town and village officials; there has to be a plan to entice young couples to move to Cazenovia. The schools will keep doing their part." Dubik said.

Burton Street Elementary School attendance increased by about 4 students in individual grades, but overall enrollment has declined over the previous two years. In the 2009-10 school year, Burton Street Elementary housed 569 students. This is down from 582 during 2008-09, and 611 total students for the 2007-08 school year.

As enrollments decline, so have the number of teaching positions at Burton Street. Five positions have been eliminated in the past three years. This past year, 41 teachers were employed at the Elementary School. Accordingly, the average class size has stayed consistent over the past three years, at about 21 students per class.